Ultimate BBQ Burger with Chipotle-Ranch Sauce

Ingredients

1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon steak seasoning
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoon smoked sweet paprika
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon allspice
2 pounds lean ground sirloin
2 tablespoons EVOO - Extra Virgin Olive Oil
8 slices cheddar cheese
1/4 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup sour cream
1 chipotle in adobo, chopped, plus 1 tablespoon adobo sauce (eyeball it)
2 tablespoons chopped dill
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
2 tablespoons chopped chives
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Lettuce
Tomato, sliced
Red onion, sliced into rings
Deli-size pickles, sliced lengthwise

Yields: 4 servings

Preparation

In a mixing bowl, combine the sugar, steak seasoning, chili powder, smoked paprika, cumin and allspice. Add the ground meat to the bowl and give everything a good mix with your hands. Press the meat down in the bowl and score it into four portions using the side of your hand. Scoop out one of the portions and shape it into a burger that's about an inch thick. Press down into the center of it with your thumb while you're shaping it to keep the burger from expanding during cooking. Shape the remaining portions to give you a total of four burgers.

Place a large skillet over medium high heat with 2 turns of the pan of EVOO, about 2 tablespoons. Cook the burgers in the pan for 3-4 minutes on one side. When you flip them over, lay 2 slices of cheese on each burger and let it melt while the other side cooks for another 3-4 minutes (if you want to cook these guys on a grill, go right ahead! Just preheat your grill on medium-high heat, cook the burgers for 3-4 minutes on one side, then flip them and cook them 3-4 minutes on the other side with 2 slices of cheese laid down over each burger).

While the burgers are cooking, combine the buttermilk, sour cream, chipotle, adobo sauce, dill, parsley and chives in a small mixing bowl. Season the sauce with salt and freshly ground black pepper, and reserve.

When the burgers are ready, load them up onto the toasted Kaiser buns with lettuce, tomato, red onion, pickles and a big dollop of the chipotle-ranch sauce.